Tuesday, September 7, 2010

DA race gets desperate

So formerAssistant District Attorney Mike Cahillane's campaign for District Attorney is pulling out all the stops as they just trumpeted an endorsement from Amherst School Committee Chair Irv Rhodes.

Bonus points, I suppose, because Irv is black. Especially since Cahillane's boss, Elizabeth Scheibel came into such criticism for pressing forward the Jason Vassell case which was recently pretty much dismissed--a case Mr. Cahillane had a big hand in prosecuting.

Gotta wonder about Cahillane's campaign spinmeister using the People's Republic of Amherst as representative of the hard working 'Happy Valley', all those normal towns and cities that encompass the Northwestern District like Hadley, Hatfield, Belchertown, Easthampton or South Hadley.

Speaking as a 5th generation Amherst resident, I think not. And Mr. Rhodes will probably catch some grief for not clearly spelling out that he was speaking strictly for himself and not the Amherst School Committee, a charge SC member Catherine Sanderson is pelted with all the time for daring to have an open, transparent blog reporting school committee concerns.

“I am Irv Rhodes, chair of the Amherst School Committee and member of the Regional School Committee and I am writing to endorse and support Mike Cahillane for District Attorney.”

“Mike has extensive prosecutorial experience as can be witnessed by hisexperience working as an Assistant District Attorney in the very office thathe seeks as a candidate for District Attorney. I am particularly impressedas a former educator, with Mike's track record of fighting cybercrime bygoing into schools to conduct workshops with kids as young as those in thefirst and second grades. Additionally Mike has done a number of trainingsessions with school administrators, guidance counselors and other staff onhow to identify and prevent bullying behavior and he wants to expand thisoutreach, if elected, because he knows that it is important to prevent crime as well as prosecute those who break the law.”

I'm with Larry on this one. No drug testing for those on state assistance. And no, not everyone has to pass a drug test to get a job. I've never taken a drug test and I've been employed for well over 35 years.

If there are about 2,000,000 people on welfare, and a drug test costs about $50 the government would spent 100,000,000 million a year. Even if we say that a drug test costs $1 buck, still... spending 2,000,000 dollars a year... not including adding an additional level of government bureaucracy, oversight, jobs, and pensions.

I have known a number of folks who have received welfare and none of them were on drugs.

And many of them at a previous time in their lives had productive jobs.

I am sorry for that momentary flash of logic, what I meant was that they are clearly all criminals and on drugs.

Plus, I have had a number of jobs that didn't require a drug test. And the ones that did just required an initial one. So do you recommend we drug test all welfare recipients once or weekly or monthly?

If there are about 2,000,000 people on welfare, and a drug test costs about $50 the government would spent 100,000,000 million a year. Even if we say that a drug test costs $1 buck, still... spending 2,000,000 dollars a year... not including adding an additional level of government bureaucracy, oversight, jobs, and pensions.

I have known a number of folks who have received welfare and none of them were on drugs.

And many of them at a previous time in their lives had productive jobs.

I am sorry for that momentary flash of logic, what I meant was that they are clearly all criminals and on drugs.

Plus, I have had a number of jobs that didn't require a drug test. And the ones that did just required an initial one. So do you recommend we drug test all welfare recipients once or weekly or monthly?

anonymous 6:27 AM - What is it about welfare that stirs the ire in people? It must be that they all have large screen tv's, drive Infinitis, and use their food stamps (because naturally, if they're on welfare they must also be getting food stamps, right?) to buy imported caviar five times a week. Maybe they can cash what's left over from unspent food stamps to buy those "illicit" drugs you speak of. Yes, definitely a free ride, a "hand-out" that deserves the utmost in scrutiny. And no question that we should also monitor the birth control methods that women on welfare use to make sure they don't keep on having babies in order to increase their humongous welfare checks that allow them to live the high life. It's obvious that you've never been in a situation that forced you into that most demeaning of positions - down on your knees begging for money to take care of your kids, pay your rent, buy medication to keep you healthy (or sane). Well, lucky, lucky you, and shame on you for buying into these stereotypes. You must have been happy as a clam in the Bush era. And if you've ever in your life seen how pathetically small those welfare checks actually are, perhaps you might keep your mouth shut about this. It's obvious you don't have a clue as to the realities involved.

My response to Irv Rhodes endorsement is who cares what he thinks? His position as chair of the Amherst SC and a member of the Regional Committee gives no more weight to his endorsement than if I was to endorse Mike Cahillane.

Furthermore, all the reasons cited by Irv Rhodes do not make for a good DA. He says that Mike Cahillane has alot of prosecutorial experience, has done workshops and continues to do workshops. Well, when's the last time you saw Elizabeth Schieble in the courtoom? Or out doing workshops. What we need is a good manager with a proven track record in that regard. And Dave Sullivan is the guy with that record. Yea, I think you have guessed by now, I am a supporter of Dave Sullivan. And I don't care what Irv Rhodes thinks.

Fool, eh? Well I'll take Obama any day over either of the Bush's. The mistake people made is in thinking Obama's a magician and with the wave of his wand, can fix whatever is wrong quickly and easily. He came into a mess or two or three that took years and years to create and he's got an opposing party whose motto is "just say no." As far as I'm concerned he's accomplished quite a bit that's relevant to me. Give the guy a chance. And a year and a half is NOT enough time. He can't create jobs out of a hat or wave that magic wand to suddenly improve the economy that the "other" guys just about brought to its knees. Bush and his goddamn Iraq invasion? You can have him.

An industrious reporter would ask Irv Rhodes about 1) Callihane's attempt to deny Jason Vassell bail and 2) Cahillane - an officer of the court - calling Jason "a menace to society" on the record.

Mr. Vassell had (and has) no criminal convictions and was and is a community volunteer, while the other two (one of whom was never even charged) have long rap sheets.

While the Vassell case is over, Mike Cahillane judgment in that case is on the record forever and it has the odor of racial bias and selective prosecution.

Irv's endorsement requires follow-up by a reporter who knows the case well to determine if Irv knows the case well and whether knowing it well would change his endorsement or at least why he thinks its not important.

Irv's judgment, on matters of who would make a good DA, seems suspect to me. Maybe he doesn't have all the facts.

Gov. Deval Patrick’s free wheels for welfare recipients program is revving up despite the stalled economy, as the keys to donated cars loaded with state-funded insurance, repairs and even AAA membership are handed out to get them to work.

But the program - fueled by a funding boost despite the state’s fiscal crash - allows those who end up back on welfare to keep the cars anyway.

“It’s mind-boggling. You’ve got people out there saying, ‘I just lost my job. Hey, can I get a free car, too?’ ” said House Minority Leader Brad Jones (R-North Reading).

The Patrick administration decided last month to funnel an additional $30,000 to the nearly $400,000 annual car ownership program.

The program, which is provided by the State Department of Transitional Assistance, gives out about 65 cars a year, said DTA Commissioner Julia Kehoe.

The state pays for the car’s insurance, inspection, excise tax, title, registration, repairs and a AAA membership for one year at a total cost of roughly $6,000 per car.

The program, which started in 2006, distributes cars donated by non-profit charities such as Good News Garage, a Lutheran charity, which also does the repair work on the car and bills the state.

Kehoe defended the program, saying the state breaks even by cutting welfare payments to the family - about $6,000 a year.

“If you look at the overall picture, this helps make sure people aren’t staying on cash assistance. It’s a relatively short payment for a long-term benefit,” Kehoe said.

But Kehoe admitted about 20 percent of those who received a car ended up back on welfare, and while they lose the insurance and other benefits, they don’t have to return the car.

“Given the state’s fiscal condition, paying for AAA and auto inspection costs is outrageous,” said Senate Minority Leader Richard Tisei (R-Wakefield). “There are so many families out there trying to deal with layoffs and pay cuts. You have to wonder what the state’s priorities are at this point.”

“I can’t believe there are no restrictions on how they use the car,” Jones said. “I just don’t see this as a core function of government.”Above Article in Boston Herald Paper...btw...All you Anon nitwits who don't think drug testing is good idea for those leaching of the taxpayers, U keep on paying for this crap, oh, today on news: the famous "octomom" is being evicted from her home, she has 12 children that she CANT afford. I suggest she move here to Amherst, MA and let you all support her and her 12 children, let's give her a car,auto insurance, AAA membership and pay the repairs too! How about a frigging key to the town to boot!12 children! She should have been sterilized a long time ago! Do you have room in your house? Perhaps you can take her and her children in, adopt them like the gitmo pieces of crap. This town is a toilet and needs to be roto'd out! Get up and vote these dumb asses out of office and out of our town hall!